Madrid-Brussels Expresshttp://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu
Just another Blogactiv.eu siteTue, 02 May 2017 11:30:48 +0000en-GBhourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.1Lobbying regulation in Spain: a pending and necessary reformhttp://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/2017/05/02/lobbying-regulation-in-spain-a-pending-and-necessary-reform/
http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/2017/05/02/lobbying-regulation-in-spain-a-pending-and-necessary-reform/#respondTue, 02 May 2017 11:30:48 +0000http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/?p=43» read more]]>A little over a year ago, I wrote about the first nation-wide lobbying registry in Spain and hailed it as a good step in the right direction. The National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC in Spanish) had put in place a voluntary register where organisations and interest groups which met with the national authority could sign up and adhere to an ethics code issued by the regulator.

Whilst 52 organisations had signed up in the first two weeks since the registry was created, a year later the count is over 350 members. The exact figure remains a mystery as the search engine is not particularly user-friendly and it is not easy to figure out the total amount. Also, the companies listed in the Spanish IBEX 35 – the majority of which are in regulated sectors and probably have a real interest in dealing with the competition authority- are strangely missing in action. The voluntary nature of the registry seems to defeat the purpose of the whole initiative.

Meanwhile, a general election, an investiture agreement and several scandals of corruption later, lobbying regulation is still on the political agenda. Last month Congress approved taking into consideration a proposal submitted by the Popular Party – the party in government- to set up a mandatory lobbies’ registry in Congress. Based on this proposal all interest groups looking to meet with MPs would have to sign up at a public registry which would be supervised by the Presidency of the Chamber. If the proposal gathers enough support – and so far it has, with most political parties voting in favour of the initiative – the registry could be up and running in less than a year.

Again, this initiative is praiseworthy but it cannot be enough. First, it leaves the Senate and the executive branch outside the registry’s scope. It is naïve to assume that a level playing field of transparency and equal access to representation of interests will be achieved merely by making accessible to the public a small portion of the total of meetings that take place at the political and institutional levels. According to Transparency International’s 2015 report on lobbying in Europe,[1] registries are useful if they are designed with comprehensive definitions, mandatory and coupled with meaningful oversight mechanisms. Spain’s proposed register would fall short of meeting this standard- as do the seven other EU countries and two European institutions analysed by Transparency International which already have a register in place.

But event if the register were to meet the three required criteria, it is insufficient. The report took into account three criteria to assess the level of ethical lobbying in European countries and institutions: transparency, integrity and equality of access. Registers would only meet the criteria of transparency; lobbying regulation in Spain would still need to incorporate measures to ensure integrity and equality of access.

A practical example to illustrate this: the former President of the region of Madrid was arrested a couple of weeks ago and is being investigated for alleged corruption and appropriation of public funds both to illegally finance his party and for his own personal enrichment. After stepping down from office a coupe of years ago, he set up a law-firm where he offered his services to help companies in the obtention of public sector contracts awarded by the regional authorities, in exchange for a 5% commission of the total amount of the contract. This is only the most recent case of corruption but it points to the painfully insufficient level of lobbying regulation; no existing legislation foresees revolving door mechanisms nor does it define what ethical lobbying rules are. As a collateral damage, this type of conduct also tarnishes the name of lobbyists and more often than not, contributes to a bad reputation where lobbying has become a dirty word. This former public authority would define himself as a lobbyist, a commission agent, a handyman of sorts when the truth is this was outright corruption and fraud.

Going back to Transparency International’s Report, the average score for the 19 countries was of 31% and only Slovenia passed the test with an average 51%; the other 18 countries and the three EU institutions’ efforts at regulating lobbying were deemed insufficient. However, this should not be an excuse for Spain; corruption and fraud rank second amongst the Spaniards’ main reasons for concern according to the latest national barometer, only after unemployment. Economic reforms have been top priority for the government in the last few years but with economic recovery well under way, the Administration and political class cannot be let off the hook. A renewal of the political system with a comprehensive lobbying regulation is mandatory.

]]>http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/2017/05/02/lobbying-regulation-in-spain-a-pending-and-necessary-reform/feed/0Spain’s New Year Resolutions in the EUhttp://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/2017/01/12/spains-new-year-resolutions-in-the-eu/
http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/2017/01/12/spains-new-year-resolutions-in-the-eu/#respondThu, 12 Jan 2017 17:38:02 +0000http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/?p=38» read more]]>Spain saw 2016 come to an end with a new government in office and encouraging data as to its economic recovery. This positive end to the year was also marked by the rather unnoticed 30th anniversary of the country’s entry into the European Union, an accession that has brought about much wealth and prosperity. With 2017 already starting, the country could do well to focus on three key points:

1) Deliver on the economic front

Despite Spain’s growth rate of 3.3% in 2016 (as announced by the government earlier this week), the economic recovery is expected to slow down somewhat in 2017. The government has an ambitious target to meet with regards to the country’s deficit, and the question remains as to whether reducing the deficit will have a contractionary effect on economic growth. The challenge lies in finding the formula to reduce deficit that will be compatible with growth in the long term; this could be with achieved with quality public spending in education, public investment or fostering digitalisation. The Spanish media have recently warned that analysts are not buying Rajoy’s promises and they expect his government to default on its commitments.

In any case, the approval of the Budget Act is the first major hurdle to overcome, without which the Prime Minister said he would call for new elections. The main difference with previous years is that there is a minority government that needs to bring other parties on board to pass the budget. So far, its announcement to raise and introduce new taxes has not gone well with the opposition; the government will have to find a common ground with PSOE and Ciudadanos. This might involve more spending in addition to the increased revenues, such as the agreement reached to increase minimum wage.

In addition, the outcome of the negotiations for the budget could set a precedent for other economic reforms Rajoy has to tackle in the course of the legislature and which will prove no easy feat for a minority government with little support (reform of the labour market, pensions, etc.).

Even if the economic reforms are finally approved, the government should work even harder to ensure the recovery is felt throughout the country. Despite the encouraging forecasts, the OECD’s latest Income Inequality Update of November 2016 showed that Spain is one of the countries where the inequality gap has most risen since the crisis and the richest 20% is further away than ever from the poorest 20%.

2) Shape up on European values

With the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome coming up in March, it’s a good time to reflect on the progress the European countries have made since the creation and development of the European Union.

At a time when the EU is being attacked on so many fronts, the European values that have bound together its members for the last decades are more important than ever. Solidarity is one of them, and it requires that the EU and its Member States wake up on the refugee crisis. The Maltese presidency has made it clear that its priorities for its six-month mandate include social inclusion and migration. The latter involves implementing the refugee quota programme, an area where Spain has a lot of work to do: according to a report by CEAR, by December the country had only taken in 5% of the total number of refugees it should according to its quota.

Dastis, Spain’s new foreign minister and up to now head of the Spanish Permanent Representation to the EU, recently said that the country will be up to date with its commitments by September 2017. Playing its role (even if it is a relatively small one in the case of Spain) in the management of the refugee crisis is an obligation of every member state. Rajoy made it clear from the onset of the legislature that European affairs were top priority for his government: this is the perfect occasion to prove it.

3) Pull its weight in the major milestones of the year

If as the saying goes, 80% of success is just showing up, Spain could expect this new year to be a hit. Compared to almost a full year of political paralysis and an acting government with its hands tied in most political decisions, in 2017 the government can and should be at the table of the major events lining up.

Brexit is of course at the top of the list, but there are other key issues. Elections in Germany, the Netherlands and France can potentially shake the EU to its core if the results yield euroskeptic leaders who do not believe in a common European agenda. This will require a united front from pro-European governments in other Member States which Spain must join and impulse.

Changes are also expected in the EU institutions. The upcoming elections for President of the European Parliament, and the re-election (to be confirmed) of Donald Tusk as President of the European Council are relevant for Spain. If both EPP’s Antonio Tajani, the current favourite to head the European Parliament, and Donald Tusk are appointed leaders of the Parliament and the European Council, the three institutions would be chaired by the same political party – the party that the current Spanish government belongs to. The result of these internal elections could have an impact on how much leeway Spain is given when the time to assess its reforms comes.

And finally, but definitely not less important, major policy challenges that will be further developed this year require Spain’s full attention. In particular, the completion of the digital single market and its effect on competitiveness and jobs is of vital importance for the country: it is lagging behind in digital skills and Internet use. Improvement in both could be key for more job creation, particularly amongst the highly unemployed youth.

2017 promises to be a full year – and Spain should rise to the occasion.

]]>http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/2017/01/12/spains-new-year-resolutions-in-the-eu/feed/0Spain’s new government: making up for the lost time in the EU scene?http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/2016/11/16/spains-new-government-making-up-for-the-lost-time-in-the-eu-scene/
http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/2016/11/16/spains-new-government-making-up-for-the-lost-time-in-the-eu-scene/#respondWed, 16 Nov 2016 11:11:54 +0000http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/?p=34» read more]]>Rajoy’s announcement of his cabinet of ministers earlier this month received a lukewarm welcome from the opposition as the new ministers were considered to lack in dialogue and negotiation abilities; according to critics, they will merely continue with the reforms the Popular Party (PP) had put in place in the previous legislature. But there seems to be unanimity as to the strong message the Prime Minister has sent regarding the importance of EU issues: they are top priority.

Some of the more prominent members of his cabinet have strong ties to Brussels: re-appointed Economy minister Luis de Guindos has been key in the economic reforms the country has undergone and has ben dealing with the Eurogroup and the institutions since 2011 and his appointment has been hailed by members of the EU institutions. The new government’s spokesperson and minister for Education, Culture and Sports Iñigo Méndez de Vigo was a MEP for 19 years and an expert in constitutional affairs. And the new Foreign Affairs Ministers, Alfonso Dastis, is a diplomat and was until now chief of Spain’s Permanent Representation to the EU. Barely one week into their mandate, the three of them flew to Brussels to meet with MEPs, several Commissioners and members of the Eurogroup to send a message of unity and total commitment of the government to its European obligations.

The new distribution of portfolios is another example of the prominent role that European affairs play for the new government. There is a newly created ministry for Energy, Tourism and the Digital Agenda, to accommodate the incoming legislation in energy and digital affairs that will flow down to the Member States in the next years. Spanish Commissioner Arias Cañete is said to have played a key role in the creation of the new Ministry, although the new Minister, Alvaro Nadal, is feared by the major electric Spanish companies for his tough stance against them during his post as chief of the President’s Economic Office in the previous legislature. Nadal was considered to be fundamentally focused on limiting those companies’ access and influence to the Prime Minister, and the session of his taking up of duties last week lacked the presence of the CEOs of the main companies.

Both the appointments and the distributions of portfolios point in the same direction. Rajoy stressed in his investiture speech before the Spanish Parliament that economic recovery is his government’s top priority, and Brussels plays a key role in it.

In parallel to economic recovery, the country has to recover lost ground in the EU scene after a year of political paralysis. With the missed opportunity of having De Guindos appointed chairman of the Eurogoup and a general loss of influence in the last months, Spain must be in top shape for the major events that will take place in the first six months of 2017. The kick-off of the British disconnection in March 2017 will generate a rebalancing of the national forces where Spain could play an important role (and it’s in its best interest to be fully present during the negotiations). And the French presidential elections in May will demand a united front from national government in the event that the Front National emerges as the winner of the elections.

Ultimately, Rajoy’s will to regain a stronger footing in Brussels is linked to national interests. His minority government will face very tough scrutiny and likely rejection of his economic policies from the opposition, as the current parliamentary arithmetic requires his party to obtain the support of other political parties for the approval of important reforms. Over the last months, several cases of measures approved by the Parliament in spite of the government’s rejection perfectly illustrate how the elections have been game-changing at least in this regard. Having Brussels’s support to introduce the necessary reforms will certainly make it easier for the government to push through its agenda. What remains to be seen is whether, if all else fails, Rajoy will use the EU as scapegoat and blame it for the unpopular measures, as national governments tend to do all too frequently. But that is a different discussion.

]]>http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/2016/11/16/spains-new-government-making-up-for-the-lost-time-in-the-eu-scene/feed/0Towards third elections in Spain? Increasing pressure versus civil disaffectionhttp://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/2016/08/30/towards-third-elections-in-spain-increasing-pressure-versus-civil-disaffection/
http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/2016/08/30/towards-third-elections-in-spain-increasing-pressure-versus-civil-disaffection/#respondTue, 30 Aug 2016 16:53:44 +0000http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/?p=29» read more]]>Over eight months, more than 250 days without a government. Two general elections, two failed investiture sessions, four rounds of negotiations with the King…the list goes on but the main result has not budged since the last 20th December. What has changed? Mostly, pressure on political leaders from all angles increases on a daily basis: businessmen, retired politicians and trade unions alike have called for politicians to reach a deal and on the need to form a government. The media have also joined their voices to the calls for a government and have lashed out mainly at PSOE’s Pedro Sánchez and PP’s Mariano Rajoy, calling them “irresponsible” and accusing them of being the cause of the blockage, respectively. Today the FT writes it is time for the deadlock to end.
A lot is definitely at stake at the moment: the economic recovery, Spain’s budget deficit engagement with the EU and our national annual budget all demand a government. Not to mention the existing political challenges, led by the Catalan pro-independence parties. However, as acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is presenting his candidacy before Congress at this very moment, it is worthwhile to consider what citizens may think of it all.

The truth is, the degree of urgency that is being expressed on so many fronts has not reached the general public. Of course, a great majority consider the political situation to be bad or very bad (84.6%) and thought it preferable in July for parties to reach an agreement to form a government over going to elections again (89%) – although El Mundo’s latest survey reveals that only 36% consider it still possible to form a government and to avoid elections.

And yet, despite their disapproval, the lack of government is far from being high up on the list of main concerns for Spanish citizens. Surveys published over the last months reveal that unemployment, corruption and fraud remain the main worries for citizens; politicians, political parties and politics only come in fifth, and the lack of government is far down the line. Over the last 4 months it has been a cause of concern for an average 5.8% of the population (although it has increased to 6.4% in July).
To sum up, the general public definitely frown upon the current state of affairs but don’t find it their biggest concern. In other words, disaffection: a disaffection that translates into a total lack of confidence in politicians. According to the 2014 European Social Survey, Spaniards only give their politicians 1.9 points out of 10 for trust (where 0 is no trust and 10 is full trust). A score that is even lower than in 2011, where despite the economic crisis, confidence in politicians was at 2.7. Clearly economic recovery has not appeased citizens with regards to politicians: on the contrary, there is a feeling that the country is doing better despite politics. As a Spanish newspaper recently put it, there is a big divide between the Spain currently “in office” which is failing miserably at reaching a deal and moving forward to form a government, and the Spain in action which is formed by companies, workers and citizens, and which keeps on working and is leading the country towards recovery, bringing down unemployment levels (in July the unemployment rate decreased proportionately the most since 1997).

What happened to the surge of citizen outrage that crystalized in the creation of the 15-M movement five years ago? What happened to the indignados, to all those people who went out on the streets to participate actively in politics and who did not feel represented by the existing political parties? Although most of the votes of those demonstrators and of many other citizens who were fed up with traditional politics have gone to emerging parties Podemos and Ciudadanos, disaffection has not spared them either. They too have recently been accused of things such as wrongdoing, lack of transparency and of internal democracy. Just as if they were well-established, traditional parties.

How can you combat disaffection? How can you get citizens involved in politics again? Some regions like Madrid are betting on transparency (the city’s local council has approved a lobby register) and on giving citizens a bigger say on local matters: initiatives supported by over 1% of the region’s population will be duly analyzed and considered by the regional government. These initiatives are worthy of praise, but they are somewhat off the mark. It will be hard convincing citizens that their opinions matter when they have sent out a clear message to politicians to form a government and to avoid going to elections, and are being blatantly ignored. PSOE’s Pedro Sánchez has consistently ignored over 50% of his voters, which are in favour of letting PP rule, with his reiterative refusal to abstain in the vote; PP’s Mariano Rajoy has not paid any attention to almost half of his voters (48.5%), who believe forming a government would be easier with a different PP candidate, by refusing to consider the possibility to step aside. And neither of them seem to be hearing what 9 out of 10 Spaniards are saying: get over yourselves and get down to work. Asking citizens for their mandate in the polls for the third time in a year could be pushing it.

]]>http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/2016/08/30/towards-third-elections-in-spain-increasing-pressure-versus-civil-disaffection/feed/0Why Spain should speak up on Brexithttp://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/2016/06/17/why-spain-should-speak-up-on-brexit/
http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/2016/06/17/why-spain-should-speak-up-on-brexit/#commentsFri, 17 Jun 2016 16:52:22 +0000http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/?p=25» read more]]>A week before the United Kingdom votes whether to stay in the EU or leave, the debate has been very subdued in Spain until now. It was practically not until this week that the media and the public opinion have started analyzing the pros and cons of staying in the EU and what consequences the final outcome may have for Spain.

(Un)surprisingly enough, the EU has not been a central part of the debate in the upcoming general elections which will take place in Spain on 26th June. Politicians seem to have caught the whiff of indifference that Spaniards have been displaying towards the EU and must have decided it was wiser not to bring up the topic. In the historic and first electoral debate between the four candidates that took place last Monday on TV, the issue of Brexit was barely mentioned in the brief timeslot of 10 minutes allocated to foreign affairs out of a full 2 hours debate. Only Podemos has officially included the topic in the pre-electoral campaign, by sending its secretary of international relations to the UK for three days earlier this month, to advocate for the permanence of the country in the EU and support the Another Europe is Possible campaign. The fact is, the state of affairs in Venezuela stirred up much more interest amongst the four main parties as they entered into pre-electoral mode, and Ciudadanos’ Albert Rivera actually visited the country recently to express his support for Maduro’s opposition.

After all, Spain has shown waning interest for the state of the EU in the last years: participation in the European elections has been decreasing steadily; in 2014, 43,81% of voters turned up at the polling stations, down from 44,87% in 2009 and higher figures of 50-60% participation rate in the 80’s and 90’s. In 2005, the referendum on the European Constitution, while it was approved by Spaniards, only had 42% of the voters involved, which was the lowest participation rate to the date in the country’s democratic tradition.

Whilst the country has been spared so far the uprising of an extremist political party that advocates for the exit of the EU and the recovery of full national sovereignty, the romance between Spain and the club it felt so privileged to be in for the first 20-25 years since its entry in 1986, seems to be fading. This recent disaffection has no doubt been triggered by the economic crisis and the austerity measures imposed on Spain, and further developed for some as the EU has failed to address the refugee crisis.

But back to Brexit. Politicians in general and the acting government in particular are wrong to not make more out of the case. After all, the potential consequences for Spain are enormous: analysts have shown that economically, Spain could become a net contributor to the EU –versus its current status as net recipient- due to the gap left by the UK’s economic contribution; plus some of the biggest national companies (Banco Santander, Inditex) have vast parts of their business in the country and would undoubtedly be affected by its financial turbulences in the short-term and by long-term implications; and the 15,5 million British tourists who visited Spain in 2015 would be affected by the pound depreciation and would either visit less or spend less. Not to speak of the approximately 300,000 British citizens who live in Spain permanently and whose change of status with regards to the EU would impact their daily lives.

And politically the effects are even wider. If the polls are confirmed and the leave option prevails, Scotland could hold a second referendum on its attachment to the UK. In the hypothetical event that it would secede from the UK as a country no longer in the EU and demand accession to the Union, it would be a first in the history of European integration and could set a dangerous precedent that would fuel Catalan independence from Spain and its will to remain in the EU.

Some say the outcome of the referendum might even affect the results of the Spanish elections and that a victory of Brexit would benefit the current acting government, the conservative Popular Party, as Spanish voters would cling to stability.

Globally, though, the largest impact is symbolic. As political scientist Salvador Llaudes argues, Spain’s recent history and its democratic transition and economic and social development have come hand in hand and have benefited enormously from its integration in the European project. The risk that the exit of the UK poses to the core of the EU and its stability means that Spain will most surely be shaken up by such a tsunami, which could amongst other things affect its economic growth forecasts. The hit that the companies listed on the Spanish stock exchange IBEX have experienced this past week, with losses worth EUR 37,600 million (a 7,33%) in three days, is a good example.

That is why the government that is formed in Spain after the elections of 26th June should make it a priority to join in the efforts to boost the European project, to advocate for a stronger Europe and to tackle head on its mounting problems. The secretary of State for the EU has already asked the representatives of foreign affairs of the other political parties to meet next week ahead of the EU Council on 28-29 June in order to reach a common position on the results of the referendum; that seems like a correct step.

]]>http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/2016/06/17/why-spain-should-speak-up-on-brexit/feed/1General elections in Spain: take two. What effects on the country’s standing in the EU?http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/2016/05/13/general-elections-in-spain-take-two-what-effects-on-the-countrys-standing-in-the-eu/
http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/2016/05/13/general-elections-in-spain-take-two-what-effects-on-the-countrys-standing-in-the-eu/#respondFri, 13 May 2016 08:59:56 +0000http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/?p=20» read more]]>

Spain will be holding general elections barely six months after the last ones – a first for our young democracy. Our politicians have failed, for different reasons, to get over themselves and sit together to come up with a workable solution.

This situation is generating mixed feelings. On the one hand, Spaniards have included the lack of government amongst their top ten causes of concern, according to the latest official survey that the State’s Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas carries out on a monthly basis. It is still in a lukewarm eighth position, far behind unemployment, corruption and fraud and economy-related problems, but it has nevertheless gone up from worrying a mere 3.5% of the population to 7.1% in two months.

As economic forecasts for 2016 and 2017 have been recently brought down from the original estimations, mainly due to the global deceleration (the Spanish economy is now expected to grow by 2.7% in 2016 and 2,4% in 2017), the Bank of Spain has warned of the risk that political uncertainty may bring about more stagnation to the recovery of the Spanish economy. Voices from the international arena such as Willie Walsh, IAG CEO, have also recently expressed their concern that the Spanish economy is becoming weaker without a government.

And yet there is another important consequence of the political paralysis which is not being discussed: how Spain’s lack of government can and is affecting the country’s own defence of its interests before its partners in the EU, and ultimately its standing in the Union. In a year where critical files such as the Digital Single Market, the Circular Economy proposals or the new European Commission’s strategy for Industry 4.0 are being discussed, the country is losing its voice due to the lack of political direction. In some areas the Permanent Representation of Spain to the EU is said to be pushing forward with clear guidelines of the national position and a political direction, but it is not extensible to all areas (it goes without saying that at the technical level, work in all areas continues). Besides, other equally crucial, non-legislative measures such as the Brexit referendum that will take place on 23rd June – three days before the Spanish elections- demand a clear voice and a strong message.

And there is actually only so much an acting government can actually do in terms of steering the political wheel. Although the Spanish Constitution cryptically states that the outgoing Government is in acting until the new one takes office, a later law, Act 50/1997, of the Government, clarified that an acting government must limit its work to the daily management of public affairs and will not adopt any other kind of measure, unless there is a case of urgency. A later Supreme Court ruling was even more adamant about its scope of powers: an acting government cannot take decisions concerning political direction.

If the polls are right, as of 26th June the political landscape will be quite similar to what we have witnessed the last six months. Leaving aside the general public’s weariness with the political deadlock, this would mean an acting government still in place. Indefinitely. Time is of the essence and Spain can simply not afford to lose its grip.

]]>http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/2016/05/13/general-elections-in-spain-take-two-what-effects-on-the-countrys-standing-in-the-eu/feed/0The Work-Life Balance Conundrumhttp://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/2016/04/18/the-work-life-balance-conundrum/
http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/2016/04/18/the-work-life-balance-conundrum/#respondMon, 18 Apr 2016 09:36:18 +0000http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/?p=14» read more]]>Last 22nd March, the European Parliament’s FEMM and EMPL committees held a joint meeting on the Parliament’s progress in the roadmap towards a life and work balance. It is hard to tell whether the half-empty room was due to the fact that it took place on the same day as the terror attacks in Brussels or whether it was a perfect illustration of the interest the subject sparks. This is after all round two in an attempt to introduce conciliation measures, after the failed maternity leave Directive was dropped after it stagnated in the Council.

Zoom to Spain. The issue of work-life balance, with different ramifications, is increasingly popular. In the newly elected Parliament, a member of Podemos showed up in Congress with her infant baby, who was in her arms throughout the whole session. For the last general elections that took place on 20th December the main political parties included a reference to striking a balance between work and life. Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy recently awoke from the stupor he has been in since the general elections of last December and announced that he would ask companies to end work days at 18h.

But all this sadly does not mean much in terms of real improvement. The likelihood of new elections being held at the end of June means that Rajoy’s statement was more of a pre-electoral campaign announcement than a real measure to be implemented any time soon. The fact is, just like in Brussels, this discussion has been dragging along for a while now: in the past legislature, a subcommittee to study how to improve working hours and to strike a work and life balance was actually created in Congress. The group diligently carried out its mandate, held hearings with experts and published a final report with very specific recommendations to act. It was then buried in a drawer and ignored for the remainder of the legislature.

There just does not seem to be any political will to advance this issue, here or in Brussels. In the case of Spain, cultural habits and the Spanish way of life are often put forward to excuse our bizarre work habits. The international media had a field day with Rajoy’s announcement, saying he was putting an end to the national siesta, in a perfect illustration of how the topic is often broached.

Political scientist Marta Romero argues that the reason why the matter is not taken seriously is because it is commonly linked to the discourse on equality, parity, and other social affairs-related measures, and it should be instead linked to the economy. Link it to numbers, she says, and people might pay attention. Let’s give that a try: data from the OECD shows that in Spain the average hours worked per year are 280 more than in Germany, or the equivalent to seven more weeks a year of work. This however is unfortunately not coupled with stronger competiveness or efficiency: in the World Economic Forum’s competitiveness rankings Spain ranked 121 out of 144 countries in terms of macroeconomic environment, and 100 out of 144 with regards to the labour market efficiency.

The good news is, while politicians come around, society is steadily moving forward. A National Commission of the Association for the Rationalisation of Working Hours was created in 2006 and is lobbying for shorter working hours and moving back the clocks to GMT (in line with Portugal and the UK), amongst other measures. Companies like energy giant Iberdrola decided to introduce new working hours in 2008 and since then, its employees have an intensive 8 am to 3 pm working day, with a flexible entry time (between 7.15 and 8.45 am). Just by looking at the numbers, it has been a success: work absenteeism has decreased, productivity has increased by about 500.000 hours a year, and the number of accidents has dropped.

Another example of how society is pushing for change is a group of working women which I had the honour to join, which are promoting the debate on the need to end enslaving office hours and push for more flexible and efficient work days, using the hashtags #9to5 or #yoconcilio.

These are all good initiatives that are paving the way for a more productive, efficient economy. But we need politicians on board for a true long-term, sustainable reform.

]]>http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/2016/04/18/the-work-life-balance-conundrum/feed/0Lobbying regulation in Spain: a small step in the right directionhttp://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/2016/03/24/lobbying-regulation-in-spain-a-small-step-in-the-right-direction/
http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/2016/03/24/lobbying-regulation-in-spain-a-small-step-in-the-right-direction/#respondThu, 24 Mar 2016 19:50:35 +0000http://elenaortiz.blogactiv.eu/?p=9» read more]]>A recent poll showed Spaniards were secondly most worried about corruption, following unemployment. Not a surprise since hardly a day goes by without a new political scandal being unveiled.

Corruption offers of course a myriad of possibilities. One of them is the grey area that separates professional lobbying from improper dealings with public officials. In Spain this has been traditionally seen – and probably with reason- an area where cronyism and personal contacts work wonders, in detriment of a professional and by the book relationship.

Luckily that’s where the focus is being put at the moment. A few weeks ago the national Commission for the Markets and Competition (CNMC, in Spanish) made available a register for entities to register. This in itself is good news as it’s the first nation-wide lobbying registry and as such is a step forward towards guaranteeing a level playing field and equal access to public powers.

The entities which sign up to the register agree to comply with an ethics code issued by the regulator. Another piece of good news is that the registry allows for or contemplates five different kinds of organization, thus being realistic and leaving behind the naïve idea that only big businesses lobby. The categories include consulting, legal advice and counseling, companies and trade associations, foundations and NGOs, academia and research, and others. This is no doubt a lesson learned from Ireland, where recently it was discovered that Ryanair had naughtily failed to register its meeting with an Irish MEP. When questioned, the company explained that the meeting had been held in the capacity of a member of a European aviation industry association, an entity which was not subject to register under the transparency rules.

52 organizations have signed up in the first two weeks, and of each of the five different categories. No small feat, considering that a first registry was made available in Catalonia at the end of 2015 and to this date a meagre 2 organizations have registered.

But how efficient can this registry really be? According to a Transparency International 2014 report, for lobbying regulation to be efficient three conditions must be met: relations between lobbyists and public officials must be transparent, there must be a clear ethics code applicable to both (integrity) and equal access to the making of public decisions. The new register meets all three of them, with the caveat that it’s voluntary. Making it compulsory could be a fourth condition to make it more efficient. A fifth excellent condition would be to extend it to all other public institutions.

So in all truthfulness, it’s only a small step that has been taken. But it’s a good step in the right direction.